1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates a display unit for a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional display unit for a vehicle is disclosed in JP,62-058112,A(1987).
FIGS. 16A and 16B show an overall view and an example of the display of the conventional display unit, respectively. FIG. 16A shows an instrument panel 120 equipped with the display unit, a steering wheel 121 and a display screen 122 in the instrument panel at a driving seat. The display screen 122 includes a fixed display area 123 displaying a predetermined information and a multiple display area 124 displaying a plural, for example, three kinds of display screens by a selective switch. The three kinds of the displays in the multiple display area 124 are a tachometer indicator, general informations appearing on the instrument panel of a common motor vehicle, and safety monitors.
FIG. 16B shows a display screen 124a of the tachometer indicator. The display screen 124a displays an engine rotation meter 125,or a tachometer and a torque split indicator 126 indicating a power distribution state in front and rear wheels of a four-wheel drive. A charging pressure meter 127, a water thermometer 128, and a fuel gauge 129 are arranged at a lower portion of the display screen 124a. 
In the display screen, the torque split indicator 126 showing the power distribution state of the fore and rear wheels of the four-wheel drive becomes an area showing a warning symbol indicator indicating a information about anomaly occurred as shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B.
As shown in FIG. 17A, an enlarged warning symbol 142 such as “a shortage of brake fluid” is displayed on an area 141 of the multiple display area 124 instead of the torque split indicator 126.
After a predetermined time, the area 141 of the multiple display area 14 indicates a reduced warning symbol 142′ and the torque split indicator 126.
A conventional display unit for a vehicle is disclosed in JP,H11-248490,A.
FIG. 18 is a vertical side sectional view showing the display unit disclosed in the above document. FIG. 19A is a front view of a display screen showing an example of an analog display. FIG. 19B is a front view showing both the analog display and a car navigation information display. The display unit, shown in FIG. 18, adapted to a combination meter for a vehicle has a facing board 216 and a cover glass 217 disposed in front of a meter case 201.
A liquid crystal 202 is disposed inside the meter case 201 and an controller 203 is disposed behind the liquid crystal 202 and a transparent electroluminescence 204 is disposed in front of the liquid crystal 202.
FIG. 19A is the example of the analog display of the combination meter described above. The liquid crystal 202 shows scale designs 210 consisting of scales 210a and characters 210b. The scale designs 210 form a background for a speedometer 205, tachometer 206, fuel gauge 207, and thermometer 208. An indicator 211 showing a position of a gearshift is displayed in the center of the liquid crystal. FIG. 19B is an example showing the car navigation information 212 and warning 213 displayed on the left half display screen of FIG. 19A.
The electroluminescence (EL) 204 is used as a plane display. The EL 204 is usually transparent and displays desired characters and designs with desired colors on arbitrary portions thereof by controlling the controller 203. The indicators 215 are displayed on the EL 204 and the scale designs 210 forming the background are displayed on the liquid crystal 202. Then, an analog display screen attains a three-dimensional display screen similar to the conventional movable indicators.
The conventional display unit shown in FIGS. 16B and 17A has versatile displays but gives a flat appearance as a whole.
On the contrary, the conventional display unit shown in FIGS. 19A and 19B gives the three-dimensional appearance but increases the cost of manufacturing due to the expensive EL 204 to display the indicators 215.